The Opals

The Opals recorded for four singles for Okeh Records from 1963 to 1965 and also backed <a href="spotify:artist:1iQiyb033XXZPEz1MfLy4L">Otis Leavil</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7onp6ew3LGoQImTt1I78gt">Major Lance</a> on recordings. Their fame never extended outside the Windy City boundaries despite recording material by <a href="spotify:artist:2AV6XDIs32ofIJhkkDevjm">Curtis Mayfield</a>, Billy Butler, and sax player Clifford Davis, the brother of producer Carl Davis. Rose Addison (lead singer), Myra Tillison, and a member only remembered as Tootsie were the Opals; the trio made their recording debut in 1963 accompanying Leavil (uncredited) on both sides of his Lucky Records' single: "I Got a Right to Cry" b/w "Rise Sally Rise."

When Carl Davis assumed the A&R duties at Okeh Records the Opals were brought along, along with Davis' assistant Leavil; a young <a href="spotify:artist:2AV6XDIs32ofIJhkkDevjm">Curtis Mayfield</a>, making a name for himself with <a href="spotify:artist:1b1N51wmSK0ckxFAMPSSHO">the Impressions</a>, contributed independent productions. They backed <a href="spotify:artist:7onp6ew3LGoQImTt1I78gt">Major Lance</a> (uncredited) on the B-side "Crying in the Rain" of his number 13 pop and number 12 R&B smash "Hey Little Girl." The spectacular job they did on "Crying" earned them a contract. Okeh issued their debut single late in 1963, two Clifford Davis songs "Losers Weepers" b/w "Take It Right," the latter co-written with <a href="spotify:artist:11LAePIczpCSQBSEXw22qK">Phil Upchurch</a>, and they were off and running. It was followed by Billy Butler's "Does It Matter" in 1964 and <a href="spotify:artist:2AV6XDIs32ofIJhkkDevjm">Curtis Mayfield</a>'s "You Can't Hurt Me No More," later that year.

The Opals backed <a href="spotify:artist:7onp6ew3LGoQImTt1I78gt">Major Lance</a> (again uncredited) on <a href="spotify:artist:0bShb58TO0fM5jOjXhB1WT">Van McCoy</a>'s "Everybody Loves a Good Time," released May 1965, but <a href="spotify:artist:41aoThgVjFbsnXTNPFddhZ">Lance</a> had peaked and the song bubbled under Billboard's Pop 100 at number 109. A final single "I'm Afraid" b/w "Restless Days" dropped in July 1965, Verne Allison and Mickey McGill (<a href="spotify:artist:0wbrRIw2po5DV4LeaHw55S">the Dells</a>) wrote the latter, but the results were the same; nothing the Opals recorded took off nationally or even regionally and the trio vanished from the music scene. Their sides are available on many compilation albums and are getting more acclaimed and play these days then when first released in the mid-'60s. ~ Andrew Hamilton, Rovi